W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y 17-18 , 2 0 17 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OUDAILY
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HONORING MLK
MCGUSTY’S PATH TO SCHOLARSHIP • 7
OU Athletics Department hosts celebration of equality
Black Campus Ministries hosts prayer walk to promote unity
REGAN STEPHENSON
ANNA BAUMAN
Students, faculty and administration gathered Monday to remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor OU athletes who have been trailblazers for equality. The ceremony, which took place in Catlett Music Center’s Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, opened with a video of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, followed by a tribute from Professor Emeritus George Henderson that reflected on the life and career of King, whom he called a friend. Henderson reflected on the lessons about kindness and equality that King taught him and others during the civil rights movement. King emphasized the importance of love as the ultimate weapon to achieve equality for future generations, Henderson said. “This is not the speech I’d prefer to give. I’d rather not eulogize to talk about my friend Martin Luther King Jr.,” Henderson said. “You don’t want to stand up and eulogize the man who gave you the best weapon you ever had: love.” Henderson said the social movements of the 1950s and 1960s would not have been a success without youth, specifically college students. “We could not have had a successful civil rights movement without college students,” Henderson said. Henderson ended with these words: “Be the leaders that you were born to be. Be the followers you were born to be. Be someone good.” Later, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione honored the achievements by Prentice Gautt, who was the first black man to play football at OU. “I don’t know how many people have a true understanding of the transformational man (Gautt) really was. ... This man had spent the most important and longest period of his life doing something for others,” Castiglione said. The ceremony also focused on other OU athletes who have been trailblazers for equality, like Teresa Turner, Wayman Tisdale, Patty Gasso and Eric Striker. Turner, one of the first women to receive an athletic scholarship at OU, described how every first makes it easier for the next generation to reach its potential. “My dream is that as a society, we not regress, but we continue to make progress in making sure that all people are respected, valued and given every opportunity to reach their full potential,” Turner said.
Students walked two-by-two around the South Oval Monday and murmured quiet prayers for racial reconciliation, unity and peace last night during the prayer walk hosted by InterVarsity’s Black Campus Ministries. About 40 students gathered near the Bizzell Memorial Library to honor and remember Martin Luther King Jr. by reading some of his writings and speeches. The group also prayed and sang two gospel hymns before filing down the South Oval in pairs. Skylar Thomas, biology junior and member of BCM, said the goal of the event was to promote peace and gather people from different walks of life. “Just to kick off the semester, we want to have positive, peaceful vibes and unity, especially with all this racial tension and everything, we wanted to start it off with a prayer walk,” Thomas said. Area director of InterVarsity Christopher Goree said he believes one ethnicity cannot achieve reconciliation alone. “To me it’s a very beautiful event where you see people coming together for reconciliation and justice,” Goree said. Goree said he prayed for the entire campus during the prayer walk. “I was praying for the campus as a whole to continue to keep doing the great work that they are doing and that the Lord would raise up faculty, staff, administrators that could have a real voice to reach out to all parts of campus,” Goree said. “They’re already doing that, but for that to be increased.” Black Campus Ministries is a small group of about eight members within InterVarsity whose goal is to promote fellowship for black Christian students on campus. “Seeing that it’s very few black people here, we want to just come together, fellowship together, grow in God together, encourage each other, that sort of thing,” Thomas said. Bryce Buchanan, computer science sophomore, attended the event and said he hoped to help bring about racial reconciliation in any way he could. “As a Christian, I feel like prayer really does, it does work,” Buchanan said. “This many people gathered here, praying and asking God to help us in ways that we can’t ever understand to mend bonds that were broken over many, many years of history.”
@regan_leanne
Regan Stephenson
regan.l.stephenson-1@ou.edu
@annabauman2
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Members of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Black Campus Ministries small group walk down the South Oval Monday. The event was hosted to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Professor Emeritus George Henderson speaks at the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration hosted by the OU Athletics department Monday in Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall.
Parking garage adds spots Five-story facility gives additional 1,221 spaces to valid permit holders ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2
The new five-floor parking facility located on Jenkins Avenue opened Jan. 14. The garage will add 1,221 parking spaces that will be available to all valid permit holders. The first floor is open to faculty, staff and visitors, while the second through fifth floors are multi-purposed and can be used by anyone with a commuter, housing or faculty/staff parking pass. Parking Services employees will staff the garage, and signs will direct drivers to the proper floors. Vicky Holland, marketing manager for OU Parking and Transportation Services, said she thinks the new garage will
significantly improve the parking situation at OU. “I think it’s going to be a positive thing for everyone on campus,” Holland said. “It’s going to open up some of the other lots because people are going to want to park in the new garage.”
“I think it’s going to be a positive thing for everyone on campus.” VICKY HOLLAND, OU PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MARKETING MANAGER Holland said she does not think the garage will affect traffic on Jenkins Avenue or surrounding streets because there
are entrances and exits on both sides of the garage. The residential colleges located north of the garage will open in the fall, but Parking Services has not yet determined how this change will affect the availability of the garage, Holland said. “I would imagine it will be open to more than just the students who live there ... but at this point, I don’t know if the levels will change, and a couple levels will become housing and maybe a couple levels multipurpose,” Holland said. “I’m not aware of exactly what we’re going to do in the fall, I just know what we’re doing until then.” Ho l l a n d sa i d t h e Pa rk i ng Services office will also relocate to the first floor of the new garage in February. Anna Bauman
anna.m.bauman-1@ou.edu
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Black Campus Ministries members sing hymns near the William Bizzell statue Monday.
Anna Bauman
anna.m.bauman-1@ou.edu
NORMAN, OK: OU campus parking garages Campus building Elm garage Stadium garage Jenkins garage
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• January 17-18, 2017
OU ACHIEVES MAJOR MILESTONE! Largest Research Grant in OU History The University of Oklahoma has been awarded the largest federal research grant in its history — a five-year, $166 million grant by NASA to advance understanding of Earth’s natural exchanges of carbon between the land, atmosphere and ocean. The mission will launch on a commercial communications satellite to make observations over the Americas from an orbit of approximately 22,000 miles above the equator.
Berrien Moore, OU Vice President for Weather and Climate Programs, will lead an extraordinary team of OU researchers coupled with outstanding collaborators from throughout the country and around the world to monitor plant health and vegetation stress throughout the Americas and to examine the natural sources and processes that control carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane in the atmosphere.
– THE PRIDE OF OKLAHOMA The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
January 17-18, 2017 •
NEWS
3
Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
SGA leaders to focus on sexual assault prevention, resources
New administration also to target mental health, old projects KAYLA BRANCH @kayla_branch
OU’s Student Government Association hopes to increase inclusion, accessibility and outreach efforts on campus with the start of a new administration this semester. These efforts include increasing engagement between SGA members and OU students and pushing the ‘It’s On Us’ campaign to fight sexual assault, SGA President J.D. Baker said. “We’re really wanting to push the ‘It’s On Us’ campaign to raise more awareness on sexual assault and take more responsibility,� Baker said. “Sexual assault — it’s on us. It is all of our responsibility.� Undergraduate Student Congress Chair Kaylee Rains said one of the biggest goals for Congress will be launching this campaign and establishing a committee to program events to combat sexual assault. “We are in the very beginning stages of this project, so we do not have definite measures set up yet, but I am looking forward to seeing how the campaign progresses and the impact it will have on campus,� Rains said. Mental health will also be a targeted area for SGA, starting with moving to have OU’s mental health resources listed on the back of every syllabus, SGA Vice President Cameron Burleson said.
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Student Government Association President J.D. Baker and Vice President Cameron Burleson during their inauguration Dec. 7, 2016. Some major areas of focus for SGA this semester include sexual assault, mental health, and inclusion.
“In our platform, we stated that the goal is to implement at the end of the syllabus all the mental health resources, sexual assault hotlines and resources that you can call,� Burleson said. “That is just one way that we think students will be able to really know the resources that are at their disposal, because OU has a lot of things, but there is no point in having them if the students don’t know about them.� Burleson said the new administration also plans to continue the work of former
SGA President Daniel Pae’s administration, which includes a food pantr y, a Student L e gal S er vices program and a bike share program. “I think one of the first things we want to do is to make sure that the hard work that President Daniel Pae and Vice President Michael Lutter did does not go to waste, and some of the things that they started but they didn’t have quite enough time to complete, that we continue those efforts,� Burleson said.
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Rains said the transition between the two administrations has gone well. Now, SGA leadership is working toward continued pursuit of a good working relationship between the various SGA entities, which include the Campus Activities Council, the Graduate Student Senate, the Undergraduate Student Congress and the executive branch, Rains said. “We worked hard to try to make SGA be a more cohesive organization, rather than four separate branches operating completely
independently,� Rains said. “I know that these efforts will continue with J.D. and Cameron. I am looking forward to getting to work with them and have the SGA branches work more and more closely together to further improve student life on campus.� Baker said he wants students to know that SGA supports them and is there to hear any concerns there may be. “We want students to know that we are here for you, we are here for the
students and we are working for our peers. That’s what student government is all about,� Baker said. “It’s not about this governing body. It’s about the supporting body of students that look like us and act like us and sit next to us in class but just have a different role on campus,� Baker said. “And I want to be in a role of supporting individual students and student organizations.� Kayla Branch
kaylabranch@ou.edu
Returning to FROOHJH DIWHU Č´YH or more years?
Students play bubble soccer on the South Oval as part of CAC’s Winter Welcome Week festivities Jan. 20, 2016.
CAC to host annual Winter Welcome Week Student talent acts, free food to greet returning students HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_
OU’s Campus Activities Council will welcome students back to campus with a flurry of community events and food during its annual Winter Welcome Week. F r o m Ja n . 1 7 t o Ja n . 2 0 , e a c h d ay o f Wi nt e r Welcome Week will include breakfast and afternoon food pass-outs, in addition to nightly activities, Winter Welcome Week chair and geology junior Will Shelden said. Activities include laser tag in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Tuesday, Winterfest at Jim Thorpe Wednesday and “State of the CAC� in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom Thursday. “It’s not that nice outside,
and nobody really wants to come back after spending a month with their dog and take Chemistry 2, so we really hope to make it a more fun experience for everybody involved,� Shelden said. Another goal for the week is to give extra attention to transfer and international students, Shelden said. One key way they will do this is with the Involvement Fair at Winterfest, which will feature about 60 organizations. There will also be four student talent acts at Winterfest, including the American Indian Student Association, which will offer a traditional music performance. “Our big idea (for Winterfest) is to get everybody excited for the semester and ready to get involved on campus, perhaps in ways they didn’t get involved in the fall,� Shelden said. Thursday’s event, State of
the CAC, is a new addition to Winter Welcome Week and the biggest change from last year, Shelden said. “We tried to make (State of the CAC) more open to students, not just those in CAC,� Shelden said. “We’re having an open house where people who might be interested can come, especially the freshmen, and just see what Campus Activities Council does.� This year, CAC had a bigger budget, so there will be more T-shirts given out, laser tag on Tuesday and a bigger crew to set up for the events, Shelden said. For more information about CAC and for Winter Welcome Week updates, follow CAC on Twitter at @OUCAC. Hannah Pike
hmaepike@gmail.com
OSHER REENTRY SCHOLARSHIP Up to $1,830 tuition waiver DEADLINE: Thursday, February 2, 2017 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Must be currently enrolled to apply. Must be returning to school WR ȴQLVK \RXU ȴUVW EDFKHORUȇV GHJUHH PXVW KDYH DW OHDVW D ȴYH \HDU 127 FRQWLQXRXV JDS in your college education.
Email applications to Missy Mitchell at mjmitchell@ou.edu
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• January 17-18, 2017
OPINION
Audra Brulc, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDailyOpinion
The Daily hopes to serve you, grow
Dana Branham
danabranham@ou.edu @danabranham
At the beginning of my first semester as editor-in-chief, I wrote that I wanted The Daily to write stories that mattered, and that I wanted those stories to be presented beautifully and distributed at your fingertips. I also wrote that I wanted The Daily to be more actively involved in the community it serves. Those goals are still at the forefront of the work that we do, and we’ve thought up some new ones, too. Last semester was packed with news and growth for The Daily — we wrote more stories that were being read more widely across the OU community, pushed ourselves to think creatively about new ways to tell stories and made a concerted effort to listen better. And we’re not done growing or listening. On our news desk, we’ve added a new religion and spirituality beat to better reflect the many faiths and beliefs of OU students. Regan Stephenson will be the reporter covering these important stories. That’s in addition to starting a new mental health beat last semester, and these areas of coverage will complement existing diversity, administration and academic beats. The idea behind these specific beats is to make it the job of a specific reporter on staff to focus his or her time and energy on topics of importance to the OU community or on topics we previously haven’t covered as deeply as we could. (Have an idea for an area of coverage we should focus more energy on? Send it my way.) The news desk leadership team — news managing editor, Andrew Clark,
assistant news managing editor, Daisy Creager and news editor, Emma Keith — will also host a Twitter chat each Friday afternoon about the week’s news coverage. That’s a great time to share story ideas and critiques — we want to hear from you how we’re doing! Find each of them on Twitter at @Clarky_Tweets, @daisycreager and
“
On our news desk, we’ve added a new religion and spirituality beat to better reflect the many faiths and beliefs of OU students.“ DANA BRANHAM, OU DAILY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
@shakeitha_97. We’ll also launch a new projects website in the coming weeks, where we’ll share in-depth, investigative journalism and our best storytelling. You can also expect more podcasts (on all sorts of topics) and more video from us. So, there you have it — a little bit of behind-thescenes from how we’re growing to be more innovative and reflective in our journalism. This staff is here to serve you, and we’re ready to do better work for you than we ever have. Dana is a journalism junior and editor-in-chief of The Daily. Previously, she was The Daily’s first engagement editor, leading The Daily through a digital and print redesign. She has also served as online editor, social media coordinator and as a reporter. Last summer, she was a web intern at the Tulsa World. If you want to get in touch, she’s here to listen: call or text 979-324-7894, or email danabranham@ou.edu.
Your perspective matters Audra Brulc
akbrulc@ou.edu @audrakath
Another day, another one-star Facebook review. Another meticulously crafted piece, another tweet simultaneously advocating for free speech and condemning our writers. Another column, another anonymous comment harassing my friends and coworkers for placing themselves in a vulnerable position by opening their opinions — their core values and deepest held beliefs — to the scrutiny of the Internet. It’s exhausting at times, and with the advent of digitally-focused journalism, it’s abundantly clear that a significant faction of angry readers seems to forget — or just not care — that there’s a young, earnest 18 to 22-year-old human being on the other end of their insults. That said, we’re not as coddled as half of our Facebook “fans� seem to think. We can dish it as well as we can take it, and among ourselves, we do. We’re digitally fluent, group-chatting, sarcasm-wielding “millennials,� and we choose to laugh off the poorly-worded and grammatically atrocious spite hurled at us on a daily basis. But it’s getting a little repetitive. In the midst of the blatantly rude and angry comments from folks who probably will never understand where we’re coming from, there’s a well-meaning but inaccurate message that catches my eye over and over: “The Daily is too liberal! You only push one agenda!� Believe it or not, I don’t sit down, rub my hands together and gleefully hit “delete� on every right-leaning column that lands in my inbox. In fact, The Daily’s opinion email is deader than my love life, which was on its last legs my sophomore year of college. I get
our opinion content from two places: our staff columnists and the community. From what I’ve seen so far, the latter has been reluctant to engage — unless you count the guy who periodically sends us moderately creepy hand-written faxes from a car dealership in Oklahoma City. I don’t, yet, but I might have to start reevaluating my options if my email keeps serenading me with cricket chirps every time I open it. I’ll be clear: To arrive at my political stance, you should start at left, turn left and then keep going left. But contrary to what anonymous online commenters would have you believe, I didn’t apply for this job to exercise a “fascist� takeover of exclusively bleeding-heart screeds. I wanted it because I believe in the power of opinion journalism. I believe in the power of the op-ed column to constantly challenge, elucidate and elevate the conversation. I believe in its deft balance between fact and the often gut-wrenching reality of human emotion. I believe that objectivity doesn’t always mean neutrality, and opinion writing gives us the chance to explore that divide. I believe that expressing our viewpoints can change how others see the world, but it can also change ourselves. When I ask myself why I do what I do, every time, it comes back to these
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn. TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017
Rethink any financial move or deal you want to make this year. DonĘźt let impulse overrule common sense. Remembering past experiences will help you navigate your way through any uncertainty you face. A conservative approach to whatever you do will help you implement and maintain balance and stability.
my friend’s got mental illness
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A sudden change should be looked at carefully, before you agree to comply or take action. Trust your instincts and take your time. DonĘźt feel pressured by chaos or someoneĘźs impatience.
my friend’s got mental illness
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- DonĘźt overreact to what others say or do. Follow your heart and make the changes that suit your needs. An opportunity to make a financial move looks promising.
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
Previous Solution
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- How you handle other peopleĘźs affairs and questions will determine what you will be offered in return. Keep your suggestions straightforward and practical in order to reap the rewards. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Impulse can land you in a dangerous position. If you want to see things change, go about it the right way. Following protocol will enhance your chances of success. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- YouĘźll feel passionate about your beliefs. Your ability to be articulate and knowledgeable will attract followers. Speak up and take your place as a spokesperson in order to make a difference.
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
The OU Daily newsroom during production Jan. 16.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Explore new avenues, but donĘźt break the bank in order to do so. Taking time out for younger or older relatives will show how you can make a difference frugally. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- An emotional situation at home will bring about an unexpected change to your lifestyle or finances. A unique approach to handling such situations is favored. Love conquers all. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- With a little extra effort, you can reach your goal. A short trip or a visit with someone informative or encouraging will give you the boost you need to forge ahead. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Interact with people you can relate to. Make a point to share ideas. The results will be good for you as well as your associates. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Emotions will surface, giving rise to confusion and difficulties communicating or getting your point across. DonĘźt force issues. Go about your business and strive to reach personal goals. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Take on a challenge that encourages you to strive to be your best. A physical change will turn out better than anticipated. Romance is featured. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -Deception and disillusionment will be at the helm of a disruptive situation. Keep your dialogue simple, honest and reflective of the facts, and avoid making assumptions. Truth and fair play will be required.
words I heard months ago from a speech author Viet Thanh Nguyen gave at the Wisconsin Book Festival: “I became a writer and a scholar because I believe in justice ... and talking about stories ... can be acts of justice, because, you know, one of the ways by which we commit injustices anywhere — this country and elsewhere — is by erasing people from stories.� So don’t let your own story be erased by
misplaced rage. Write. Tell me what you think. My inbox and I are waiting. Audra is an international studies senior and opinion editor at The Daily. Previously, she worked as a copy editor at The Daily. She now manages The Daily’s staff columnists. If you would like to submit a guest column or letter to the editor, you are welcome to send it to her by emailing dailyopinion@ou.edu.
NOW HIRING ELECTRONIC PREPRESS/LAYOUT ASSISTANT Do the behind-the-scenes work for many of our publications: creating page layouts, transmitting publications to the printer and assisting with Student Media’s IT needs. Paid position. Some night and day shifts. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and attention to detail preferred. Student Media Production alums are prepared for a variety of media jobs, and some of our graduates have worked with National Geographic and The Wall Street Journal. Get your experience. Apply now.
studentmedia.ou.edu
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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker January 17, 2017 ACROSS 1 Alfred Hitchcockshaped fruit 5 Greek lyric poet 11 Wet marshy place 14 It knows which way the wind is blowing 15 Like some islands 16 Miner’s valuable discovery 17 Feature of a building in Oz? 19 Achieve victory 20 Batting practice structures 21 Chisel for a stonemason 23 The Inuit, old-style 26 Where to find Santiago 27 Soaked up some rays 28 Part of a willow tree 31 MacKenzie of old beer ads 32 Honey relative? 33 Fairy-tale beast 36 ___ de Triomphe 37 Hit the horn on a subcompact 40 Bad thing to have at a housewarming? 41 Flaps the gums
1/17
43 Turn tail 44 Spiral-horned African creature 46 Shoe type 48 Temporary property holder 49 Dressy trousers feature 51 Sang “Silent Night� here and there 52 Muzzleloader accessory 54 Like Count Basie’s “Doll� 55 Atty’s. group 56 Resist a roaming charge 61 ___ Aviv, Israel 62 Word with “flotation� or “mnemonic� 63 Eye part 64 90-degree joint 65 Long, broad strips 66 Drummer’s forte DOWN 1 Plumber’s pipe material (Abbr.) 2 Handy pencil holder 3 “It doesn’t matter which� 4 Cancel, as a law 5 Neptune is one 6 Wheel shafts 7 Some missing soldiers 8 Soccer mom’s org.
9 It’s far from the point? 10 “Eight ___, and all’s well!� 11 Blooper originating in an alley? 12 Bracketbraced window 13 Comedy, sci-fi or drama, e.g. 18 Least wild 22 Columbus’ state 23 Part of an English exam, often 24 Infra’s opposite 25 Where to let your fingers do the shopping? 28 Supply the food 29 Equipped and trained for the job 30 Athletic supporter?
32 Tree part used for timber 34 Royal Indian woman (var.) 35 Ran its course 38 Taking a personal day 39 See 32-Across 42 Glide high 45 Den newcomer 47 Butting heads 48 Cleans oneself 49 Ramble on 50 Name tag, essentially 51 “Here!� 53 Was picturesque? 54 Dentist’s directive 57 Eggs, in a lab 58 Not a st. 59 Sheepish expanse 60 Flat back muscle, briefly
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
1/16 Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com 12/12 Š 2016 Universal Uclick
FOUL BALL By Timothy E. Parker
January 17-18, 2017 •
NEWS
5
Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
New law could nix drug court State Question 780 could kill addiction program: officials DANA BRANHAM @danabranham
The Cleveland County Drug Court and others like it might cease to exist after a state question for criminal justice reform goes into effect July 2017. The passing of Oklahoma’s State Question 780 means that all drug possession offenses will soon be classified as misdemeanors and therefore will face a maximum sentence of one year in county jail. Without the incentive of avoiding a felony conviction and prison sentence, officials in the Cleveland County Drug Court don’t see the program surviving much longer. “State Questions 780 and 781 are a drug court killer. (Cleveland County) Drug Court will cease to exist,” D i s t r i c t At t o r n e y G re g Mashburn said. “It will not be a workable program in the future because of this.” The Cleveland County Drug Court, which launched in 2000, is a rigorous, structured two-year program for people charged with nonviolent felony offenses who are facing prison time. Participants leave the program sober and employed after receiving treatment for drug addiction or alcoholism. Cleveland County Special D i s t r i c t Ju d g e Mi c ha e l Tupper, who presides over
the Cleveland County Drug Court, said counties in Oklahoma are allowed to set up misdemeanor drug courts, though none currently exist. “The way the law is now, we could have a 10-time convicted heroin addict come in on a new possession of heroin charge, who’s clearly an addict, admits to being an addict, and yet he’s going to be processed through the system with a misdemeanor,” Tupper said. “So if he is willing to come into the structure and regimen of drug court, then I’m not going to turn him down.” Misdemeanor drug courts could still be ineffective, though — given the choice between the strict regimen of drug court for two years and a few months in county jail, those struggling with addiction would more easily choose jail time. “ T h a t ’s o n e o f t h e strengths of drug court — no one wants to go to prison,” Tupper said. “If you tell an addict they have a choice, go to drug court or go to prison, they’re going to choose drug court.” But the stakes are not so high when it comes to deciding between drug court and county jail. Mashburn said the public didn’t consider or fully understand how State Questions 780 and 781 would affect county drug courts before the election in November. “The frustrating thing for me is when we were trying to tell the proponents
of this, ‘Look, you can’t do that, that’s not how our system works,’ they didn’t care,” Mashburn said. “What’s frustrating for me is that the experts in the field — the judges, the prosecutors — nobody asked us how this would affect day-to-day operations. They just said, ‘This is what we’re doing, shut up.’” Misinformation in the campaigns for the state questions was part of the reason drug courts were overlooked, Mashburn said.
“State Questions 780 and 781 are a drug court killer. (Cleveland County) Drug Court will cease to exist.” GREG MASHBURN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY
“There’s this misinformation that there’s all these people just never did get a chance for any treatment and they were just sent straight to prison, and there’s just this huge population in prison that if they’d have just been given an opportunity, they totally would’ve taken it,” Mashburn said. “That’s not true. They’re offered and offered and offered.” Teresa Collado, the executive director of Norman Addiction Information & Counseling and a partner of the Cleveland County Drug Court, said she thinks the state questions could create positive change for the program.
“Drug court is limited — there’s limited resources, there’s limited providers, and in a way, it may open up the opportunity for these higher-level offenses to be a part of drug court, while those lower-level offenses can also get treatment,” Collado said. The passing of the state questions was a step in the right direction in terms of handling addiction, Collado said. “These folks are not hardcore criminals — they have a disease. Now, they get the ‘felon’ attached to them, and it’s really discouraging,” Collado said. “It’s hard to get jobs and it’s hard to move forward when they have the title of felon attached to you. So now that will be taken away, but they’ll still be required to get treatment.” Though State Question 780 has the potential to put an end to drug court as it exists now, both have similar goals — to keep people out of prison and to help people dealing with addiction get treatment. “I don’t know that the public really thought about it — it was sold as reducing prison and diverting money to treatment. Those are honorable, noble things. I don’t want to send people to prison,” Tupper said. “But in effect, we virtually went to having some of the softest drug laws in the country now, and I don’t think the public thought about that.” Dana Branham
danabranham@ou.edu
OKLAHOMA DRUG COURT VS. STATE QUESTION 780 The goals of drug court and State Question 780 are similar — to keep people out of prison and to help people dealing with addiction get treatment. But the state question could sentence county drug courts to an uncertain future.
WHAT THE STATE QUESTION DOES With the passing of State Question 780, all drug possession offenses will soon be classified as misdemeanors, which carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
HOW DRUG COURT WORKS Drug court, as it exists in Cleveland County, works like this: If a person struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism is facing prison time for a felony, they can opt to participate in drug court — a two-year, strictly regimented program requiring participants to get sober and employed.
WHY THEY WON’T COEXIST With many drug offenses soon being classified as misdemeanor, drug court will lose some of its pull — when faced with the choice between drug court and prison, a person would more likely choose drug court. When faced with a year or less of jail time and drug court, jail time might be the easier option for someone struggling with addiction. Without the consequences of a felony offense, country drug courts may see many fewer participants when the state question goes into effect in July.
Stadium nears completion Big news breaks over break Coaches’ offices, locker rooms to be finished by March
Recapping the highlights of winter holiday STAFF REPORTS
OLIVIA DUBCAK @olivedubbie
After more than a year of renovations, the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is entering its final stages of construction with projected completion in March 2017. The remainder of the project will include the coaches’ offices, locker rooms, a conference room and a grand lobby, said Jim White, the senior superintendent for the project. A strength and conditioning performance center and sports medicine facility are also in the works for the March deadline. Both facilities are more than double their previous sizes and will be utilized by all OU student athletes, Larry Naifeh, executive athletics director, said. “I know everybody sees the stadium and they love it and it’s fantastic, and it is outstanding for the six
PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY
The Gaylord Family—Oklahoma Memorial Stadium under construction Jan. 14.
games we’ve played, but these facilities are going to be used every single day by all of our kids,” Naifeh said. The new conference room will include theater-style seating for up to 204 people, White said. The grand lobby, which will be called the Legends Lobby, will serve as a memorial to OU football history, housing the university’s National Championship, Heisman and Big 12 trophies, among other memorabilia. Construction began the summer of 2015 with a goal of front-of-house completion by the start of the 2016 football season. This goal
Olivia Dubcak
oliviadubcak@gmail.com
OBAMA HONORS OU PROFESSOR President Barack Obama awarded an OU researcher and assistant adjunct professor with the highest honor given by the U.S. government to people in the early stages of their independent research careers.
BUZZFEED PUBLISHES UNVERIFIED INFORMATION ABOUT DONALD TRUMP BuzzFeed published the full 35-page dossier a couple of hours after CNN published a synopsis of the claims in the document, but not the document itself. Trump blasted the news outlets on Twitter, denying the statements in the dossier and claiming it was “fake news.” In an article published Jan. 11, Buzzfeed wrote that the document is believed to have been written by a former British intelligence community member, and
acknowledged the criticism it received from other news outlets in response to the decision to publish the full, unverified document. Trump held a press conference Jan. 11 in which he called CNN “fake news” and BuzzFeed a “failing pile of garbage.” JOE MIXON VIDEO RELEASED The video, from July 2014, shows Amelia Molitor, who graduated from OU on the day of the video’s release, pushing and then slapping Mixon. After two strikes from her, Mixon punches Molitor and walks out of the restaurant. Mixon was suspended for the entire 2014 season for the incident, was on probation for one year, and was also required to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling, which he still attends, he said in a press conference after the video was released. Staff Reports
dailynews@ou.edu
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included completed seats, the new scoreboard, concessions, restrooms, and clubs and suites, White said. These gameday essentials were completed for the Sooners’ first home game Sept. 10, 2016. Plans to renovate the stadium were originally announced in the summer of 2014 as a $360 million project. However, amidst the state’s oil crisis, the school scaled back the plans to cost $160 million.
FORMER SGA PRESIDENT TO TAKE OVER AS OU PRESS SECRETARY Recent graduate and former Student Government Association President Matt Epting took over for Corbin Wallace as the OU press secretary and special assistant to the president on Jan. 1. Epting said he is “delighted with the opportunity” to serve in the position where he will work closely with OU President David Boren. “OU’s my favorite place in the world, so I can’t wait to get started,” Epting said.
Corey Potvin was one of 102 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Potvin’s research focuses on thunderstorms, and he studies technique development for storm analysis, data assimilation and processes/predictability, according to his page on OU’s Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies. Potvin received his Ph.D. and master’s degree in meteorology from OU.
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• January 17-18, 2017
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Schools save art amid steep cuts Local district seeks to set priorities as budgets get slashed CHANDLER KIDD @chanannkidd
On a Tuesday afternoon at Monroe Elementary in Norman, Catherine Buckley ushers her students, grades K-5, into her classroom. The kids enter the classroom single file, some skip and others run to sit on the piano-patterned rug. “ Today, w e are going to learn more about Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker,’” Buckley says. The kids giggle, and many eagerly raised their hands. Buckley’s music class is enduring, while many arts programs across Oklahoma s u f f e r o r h av e b e c o m e non-existent. Monroe has implemented measures to prevent art education from becoming extinct. Oklahoma faces a $1.3 billion budget cut that is expected to cost an additional $3.8 million for schools in Norman, resulting in a $6 million total budget cut for the fiscal year in the Norman area, according to a Norman Public Schools press release. School districts across Oklahoma struggle to implement budget shortfalls while maintaining a healthy arts program. Joe Siano, Norman Public Schools superintendent, said that this fiscal year, Norman schools are focusing on the basic services that enhance children’s education. One area the schools have reduced is custodial services so that students can stay engaged with curriculum in the classroom, Siano said. “Regardless of the budget cuts in any school, you have to set priorities. In Norman Public Schools, our arts programs and classrooms will continue to be a priority, especially through the budget cuts,” Siano said. Buckley aims to give her students an opportunity to experience the benefits a musical education can bring, she said. “I have been able to show even my fifth-grade boys, who love to play soccer, the opportunities art can bring them. It is really neat to see those boys sit down and make a Sugar Plum Fairy or see them singing,” Buckley said. A typical day in Buckley’s
CHANDLER KIDD/THE DAILY
Catherine Buckley, K-5 music teacher at Monroe Elementary School, during one of her classes Dec. 6, 2016. Buckley teaches her students about musical counts and famous musicians.
class includes learning about musical counts and famous musicians like Elvis Presley. However, maintaining this type of learning can be hard with growing class sizes, an effect budget cuts have brought. Keeping the kids moving helps Buckley stay sane.
“I’ve made arts a priority because (Norman Public Schools) should not only prepare students academically, we should be preparing well-rounded citizens.” JOE SIANO, NORMAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT
“I have a lot of bouncy ones, especially in my classes with 35 students, so seeing the kids just enjoy feeling the beat keeps me motivated,” Buckley said. The biggest problem budget cuts create is the inability to retain educators, Siano said. “It is harder to find qualified teachers who want to
stay in the Norman area to teach, mainly because other states have higher pay and less budget cuts within their school system,” Siano said. In June, the Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a $38.2 million budget cut, money that would otherwise have funded public school activities, according to News Ok. Additionally, “Norman Public Schools experienced a $2.3 million reduction from January to June this past year, with an additional reduction of up to $4.5 million later in the year,” according to the Metro Family Magazine. The Norman community and Monroe’s PTA has given students at Monroe opportunities they usually wouldn’t have due to lack of funding, Buckley said. Lynette Wilson, fourthgrade teacher, said Monroe has withstood budget cuts because of outside support from PTA and other organizations. “Monroe just has such a family base. Between our PTA and having that family connection, our teachers aren’t afraid to ask if they need something. We work together to make sure the kids aren’t going without,”
Wilson said. Buckley’s students might get fewer musically focused field trips, but she has been able to show her students that music can help them learn in a fun way. Buckley tries to simulate an in-classroom field trip by bringing back photos of places in the United States she has visited due to her love for running marathons. “When I go run marathons, I always try to visit a place that has some sort of music background. I just finished one in Memphis and showed kids pictures of Graceland,” Buckley said. “So even though we can’t physically go see these places, the kids are engaged in a unique way.” Siano said he believes that art education lays the building blocks for more educated students. “I’ve made arts a priority because (Norman Public Schools) should not only prepare students academically — we should be preparing well-rounded citizens,” Siano said. Another program that has kept art funding at Monroe is the Oklahoma A+ Schools program. This program integrates the arts with the curriculum of Monroe
Elementary, which means students learn how the arts can present themselves in their everyday lives. “She takes what we are teaching in reading, like cause and effect, but will show the students cause and effect in music. Mrs. Buckley just really integrates the curriculum,” Wilson said. Buckley has enjoyed the Oklahoma A+ Schools program because of the variety of ways it helps educators implement music in children’s daily lives. “The program has really shown me how truly lucky I am to teach at Monroe. The A+ program really shows me that there is a way to continue musical education and that people still appreciate art,” Buckley said. Norman Public Schools plans to face the budget cuts in a positive way to help keep the arts integrated in education, Siano said. “You have to find ways in your budget to keep effective ways to provide supplies throughout the year,” Siano said.
OKLAHOMA ARTS COUNCIL: IMPACT ON EDUCATION • Programs like the Oklahoma Arts Council work to help public schools combat the pitfalls arts education faces due to the consistent budget cuts to the state’s budget. Established in 1965, the OAC works to help arts flourish through a grant matching program. • The OAC provided 495 grants to 264 groups and schools in 89 communities during fiscal year 2015-16, according to the Oklahoma Gazette. • For more information on the budget cuts and how Norman Public Schools has implemented the budget shortfalls, visit http://www.norman. k12.ok.us/.
Chandler Kidd
chandlerkidd@ou.edu Source: Oklahoma Gazette
Trio delivers hair-raising sound on album The xx returns with new sounds while keeping chemistry Kaelan Deese
Kaelan.a.deese-1@ou.edu @RedNPinkFish
The iconic trio “The xx,” which is responsible for one of the most well known “Intro” tracks in contemporary music, is back to offer a third succession in its discography after a decently long hiatus within the band. During the band’s yearlong break, Jamie xx has been hard at work refining the group’s sound within his own solo projects. The 2015 record “In Colour” surprised many fans with its climactic build-ups and overall more bombastic electronica sound — a sound that is very much a polar opposite to the timid and stripped-down nature of The xx. In “I See You,” The xx’s latest album (released January 13), Jamie is able to mesh his hair-raising melodies with the trained voices of Oliver Sim and Romy Croft to form a much more sonically interesting version of The xx compared to their
Cover of The xx’s “I See You” album.
starting sound back in 2009 and what is quite possibly its best recording to date. The album delivers one of its first hair-raising melodies within the first few seconds of the album : A loud and boisterous fanfare of horns opens the track
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FACT MAGAZINE
“Dangerous.” “Dangerous” helps to verify that this album aims to be different from previous releases. The upbeat percussion loops that follow also show quite a contrast from older albums, which are typically focused on more soft and
minimalistic drum beats. Another fantastic track is “Replica,” which features the iconic guitar plucking used throughout much of the band’s 2009 release. The guitar plucking in “Replica” is fused with synthetic keyboards with washed out
effects that create an almost electronic dance music or EDM-esque level of buildup. While there is a great degree of change on this record, the band saves some of its older styles on “Brave for You,” which brings down the tempo and relies on more of the traditional instrumentation over Jamie’s house-inspired production. Another song that early fans will appreciate is “Say Something Loving,” with its misleading Beatles-sounding sample that actually comes from 1976 recording of “Do You Feel It?” by Alessi Brothers. The vocals on this song are long and drawn out, but they convey a heartfelt and passionate message that is made less gaudy because of the interesting music around it. When approaching the cons of this album, the only notable flaws can be found within the lyrics and vocals. There is nothing awful to be said of the lyrics and vocals other than Sim and Croft do not showcase the same level of growth in their talent as Jamie Smith. A majority of the lyrical themes in this album deal with reunion or coming back together, which could be a
more personal tale of the band members’ conflicts with one another. The ambiguity within The xx’s lyrical themes is a little too much to create any resonating emotions, and therefore comes across as no more relatable than any other pop song. All things considered, the chemistry between the vocal parts in “I See You” is still astonishing, as it always has been with The xx. The best showcase of this is in “Lips,” wherein Croft blends her falsetto with Sim’s resolving lower register response. Overall, The xx has left behind a hefty surprise for such an early release in 2017. With an album that only gets better towards the latter half, tracks such as “On Hold” and “I Dare You” will be the ones that resonate in the minds of fans and newcomers alike. If The xx has never been amusing to you before, now might be the time to give it another chance. My honest opinion of this album is an 8/10. Kaelan Deese is a journalism sophomore and an arts & entertainment reporter for The Daily.
January 17-18, 2017 •
SPORTS
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Spenser Davis, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Freshman guard matures for OU Kameron McGusty overcomes effort, demeanor issues DEREK PETERSON @DrPetey15
Kameron McGusty, Oklahoma’s freshman shooting guard, has all the makings of a star. You hear about his potential from every possible direction. Friends, teammates, coaches and TV announcers alike insist McGusty, the highest-rated recruit of the Lon Kruger era, is destined for big things with the Sooners. We even saw a glimpse of it in the box score against Kansas State, too. McGusty scored 20 points on the road against the Wildcats, something Buddy Hield never did. Neither did other Sooner greats like Stacey King or Isaiah Cousins. Blake Griffin didn’t do it until Jan. 7 of his freshman season — exactly nine years before McGusty’s feat. “Personally, I don’t know what an NBA player looks like — I’ve never had the privilege to coach somebody who’s gone that far — but I’ve also coached enough players to know that Kameron’s special,” McGusty’s former high school coach, Shannon Heston, said. “I know the young man, and I know basketball, and I don’t see why he can’t (go to the NBA).” McGusty wasn’t always talked about so glowingly. There was a time when the combo guard from a small town in southwestern Texas had major questions. During his early years at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas — he would spend three years there before finishing his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas — McGusty struggled to give consistent effort. “I think sometimes he just maybe got bored with stuff, and we had to find ways to motivate him more,” Heston said of those early years. “When we would take the court on a Tuesday or Friday night, Kameron knew, for the most part, night in and night out he was going to be the best player on the court, and he would pick and choose his moments when he wanted to go hard.” During practices, McGusty would play his heart out on one drill and then take the next off. When it came time to play a game, he would rest on defense or float to the corner to conserve energy for later. “He would kind of pick and choose his moments when he wanted to try and take over,” Heston said. Th e re wa s a m o m e nt Heston recalled vividly: it was the first game of the season for the varsity team at Seven Lakes and they were playing against the Clear Falls Knights. Shortly after the opening tip, McGusty, then a
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Freshman guard Kameron McGusty passes the ball to a teammate during the game against Kansas Jan. 10. McGusty had his first career start against the Jayhawks.
sophomore making his first appearance on the varsity squad, checked into the game for the Spartans. “Kameron checked in, and a play and a call didn’t go his way,” Heston said. McGusty said he didn’t quite remember what happened, but he knew it upset him, and he didn’t hide his emotions. The outburst didn’t go over well with Heston or the rest of the coaching staff and they pulled him from the game. As McGusty made his way back to the bench, his demeanor had soured, and when his teammates reached out for high fives, McGusty passed by without offering a hand to anyone. T h e c o a c h i n g s t a f f ’s response? “We didn’t play him the rest of the game,” Heston said. Heston said McGusty’s benching wasn’t to punish but to teach. “It just kind of stuck out to him that he needed to act right, behave right and not let bad calls affect his body language and how he was going to treat and talk to his teammates,” he said. McGusty was upset but with himself. “I had never been taken out for trying to make a play because I’ve been a playmaker
my whole life, so it was just frustrating … I was just used to being the man,” McGusty said. “And I needed that. I went home, thought about it and thought about how I can’t do that. I’m a better person than that. It helped me mature.”
McGusty said. “I mean some players work for a lot of things, some players have God-given ability, and I was blessed with that, thankfully. I always get in the gym too, but some things on the court just can’t be taught, and I can do them really well.”
“Personally, I don’t know what an NBA player looks like — I’ve never had the privilege to coach somebody who’s gone that far — but I’ve also coached enough players to know that Kameron’s special.” SHANNON HESTON, HIGH SCHOOL COACH
Later on during the same season, McGusty was named the District MVP thanks to a unique blend of scoring and playmaking. With McGusty, it was never a matter of the physical game, but rather the mental one. McGusty isn’t and wasn’t lazy. In fact, Heston named him as one of the hardest workers he’s coached, but the game just came freely to him. Some players are self-made. They spend countless hours working and growing their game in order to be good. McGusty was already good, but extra work was needed to make him great. “A lot of it comes naturally,”
As a sophomore, McGusty’s ability to score in bunches meant that he was receiving visits from Division-I schools on a regular basis. They were smaller, but they were starting to come more frequently. Big 12 schools were coming too, like Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma, but all had the same concern: Would McGusty be able to keep his motor running constantly? Oklahoma, more so than anyone else, was intrigued. “He was a kid that we were on for a long time,” Chris Crutchfield, an Oklahoma assistant, said. “He was really laid back and didn’t play hard, but he was a talented,
real smooth player, and he just never came out of that 75 (percent) mode. You know, he played at that 75 mode, that speed, and just never got to 100.” Lew Hill, another assistant with the Sooners who has since left Oklahoma to take the head coaching job at the University of Texas — Rio Grande Valley, took over recruiting duties when it came to McGusty. As a player, he represented everything Oklahoma was looking for in a guard: He could score at will, handle the ball, create for his teammates and defend. Hill said it was McGusty’s versatility that initially drew Oklahoma’s eye — he just wished the guard would play harder. “I used to tell him all the time, ‘You gotta play harder,’” Hill said. “Imagine if he plays hard with the gifts that he has.” After his sophomore season, McGusty’s team traveled north to visit Hill and t h e O k la h o ma S o o n e rs for a basketball camp. As McGusty excelled on the court, Crutchfield and Hill still didn’t see enough to offer a scholarship. There were still questions about McGusty’s motor, and Hill decided it was time to sit down and talk about it one-on-one. “Well, I’m always honest with kids,” Hill said. “I sat down and told him what he needed to do to get better, what he does good now and how he needs to improve, and he just really liked my honesty with him.” That talk was just as instrumental in molding McGusty as the benching was. “He basically just laid down the foundation for the type of player he could see me being when I come out of high school and then when I get to college wherever I play at,” McGusty said. “He really gave me some confidence” When he got back to school for his junior year, the switch flipped. And it never went back off. McGusty averaged 22 points per game his junior season at Seven Lakes and his recruiting stock soared. “As soon as he got back, he changed it,” Crutchfield said. “We went down in the fall to recruit him and you could see he changed, and that’s when we offered him a scholarship. The rest was history.” McGusty played in the Under Armour Grassroots Basketball Circuit between his junior and senior seasons. As an unranked recruit at the time, McGusty paced a field that included the No. 1 player in the country, Josh Jackson, in scoring. “(McGusty) really opened a lot of eyes,” Heston said. “I think just the comments that he was hearing from not just one school or two schools, but from all the big schools that were recruiting him, I think he did a good job of self-reflection and he understood what he needed to do if he wanted
to meet his goals and live out his dreams.” McGusty spent his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy, Hield’s alma mater. When he committed to Oklahoma, he did so in part because of the opportunities to play and contribute early, but also because of the sense of family he got in Norman as well. “He wanted to be around family,” Hill said. “Somebody who pushed him and somebody he could talk to and trust.” Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger fit that bill. So did Hill. McGusty said the two would talk almost daily. And even though Hill is no longer around, McGusty said that family feeling is still there. “There’s not one time where I’m off the court or I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t be around so-and-so today,’” McGusty said. “We’re always out and about having fun, always with each other. I think we gel real good.” McGusty said the family atmosphere has helped his college transition. Everyone looks out for one another, and each player pushes the other. “Any time someone sees you doing something wrong or wants to help you out, they always have something to say,” McGusty said. “It’s like a family … It’s not just one individual that’s uplifting and trying to help the younger guys — everybody is trying to help.” McGusty said it’s still been challenging at times to keep his aggression high day-in and day-out, but going against guys like Christian James and Jordan Woodard has helped push him, helped keep his motor running all the time. “Of course I try to play as hard as I can every day, but sometimes you just come in and you’re like, ‘Man, I’m tired today, my body’s beat up, I’m banged up,’ but you just have to overcome that,” McGusty said. “Everybody’s good, you can’t take any plays off and that’s one thing I’ve been working on. Trying to get my motor going, get into the game and get more aggressive and help my teammates out more.” And so far, through the first half of his first season at Oklahoma, McGusty has done just that. “ H e f i g u r e d i t o u t ,” Crutchfield said. “Since he’s been here he’s been a really, really good player.” McGusty is ready to keep working and keep growing as a player. His comfort level within the Sooners’ offense has risen, his confidence has never been higher, and he’s starting to assert himself as one of the Sooners’ go-to scorers. The motor, the one that stalled McGusty for so long, no longer idles. Derek Peterson
Dr.Petey15@gmail.com
Boren stands by Mixon after public release of video Auburn fans chants ‘he hits women’ during Sugar Bowl JESSE POUND @jesserpound
NEW ORLEANS — OU President David Boren defended the university’s decision to keep Joe Mixon with the football program following the Sooners’ win in the Sugar Bowl. As Oklahoma’s offense picked up steam in the first half of the Sooners’ 35-19 Sugar Bowl win over Auburn, boos cascaded down from the Auburn fans. Then the boos turned into a chant — “he hits women,” directed at Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, playing in his first game since the release of a
video showing him punching a female OU student in 2014. OU has faced heavy criticism since the release of the video, with coach Bob Stoops saying last month he doesn’t believe the decision to keep Mixon — who served a one season suspension for the incident — would be made today. But OU President David Boren said he stands by the university’s decision, invoking Pope Francis and Father Flanagan to media members after the game as he explained his philosophy on second chances. “The job of a university and the job of an educational institution is to put people on the right path, to learn from their mistakes,” Boren said. “I hope that’s what we’ve done, I hope that’s what we’ll do 100 years from now.”
Mixon, w h o, a l o n g with quarterback Baker Mayfield, appeared to wave his arms to antagonize the crowd DAVID as the chant BOREN was happening, said he couldn’t hear the specifics of the chant. “Honestly, I couldn’t hear nothing but my teammates,” Mixon said. “Like I said, congrats to my teammates. They did a great job today. I’m here to celebrate this win.” Mixon finished the game with 180 total yards, sparking the OU offense after a slow start and being the most consistent player throughout the game. He said his arm motions were not in response to
the Auburn fans. “I wasn’t reacting to no fan,” Mixon said. “I saw our crowd and our fans were juiced up, and I basically was doing whatever I could for our fans to be in the game and stick with us.” Boren has kicked students off campus before, most notably two former members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity who were shown singing a racist chant on a party bus in 2015. Boren stood by that decision as well, saying the two situations were completely different. Prior to the video’s release, the Tulsa World reported that star receiver Dede Westbrook had been arrested for domestic violence before coming to Norman, something OU officials said did not appear in a background check conducted by a third party.
Following the Sugar Bowl, Boren clarified that the “third party” was actually the university’s legal office, which is separate from the OU Athletics Department but filled with OU employees. Boren repeatedly said his goal was to help students develop and grow from mistakes, not to “destroy” their lives. “As a university president, I want to help young people learn from their mistakes and get on the right path,” Boren said. “I’m not in the business as a university president of destroying entire lives and entire futures of young people. If they want to get someone else to be university president, that’s in the destruction business, get ‘em. I’m in the education business.” Jesse Pound
jesserpound@gmail.com
JOE MIXON TIMELINE • The surveillance video showing Joe Mixon punching a female student in July 2014 was released by Mixon’s attorneys on Dec. 16. • Mixon spoke about the incident for the first time on Dec. 23. • Mixon announced his decision to forgo his junior and senior seasons and enter the NFL Draft Jan. 5.
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January 17-18, 2017 •
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